1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to terminals for connecting electric power switches to electrical conductors, and particularly to terminals that can be used to make different types of connections to one or more conductors and which is usable with multiple configurations of electrical switches.
2. Background Information
Power switches used in electrical distribution systems, such as for instance, circuit breakers, transfer switches, disconnect switches, contactors, motor starters and the like, require connections for electrically connecting the power conductors of the switch to the electrical conductors of the distribution system. Typically, the power conductor of the switch is a rigid, flat conductor. A common connection for connecting cables to such switches is the collar terminal. The collar terminal has a cylindrical or square body with a transverse slot in which the flat power conductor of the switch and the wire or cable are received, and a tapped bore into which a screw is threaded to clamp the wire or cable against the power conductor while also securing the collar to the power conductor. Typically, the collar terminal is received in a recess in a molded casing of the power switch.
In some applications, it is desirable to have other types of connections for connecting the wires or cables to the power conductors of the switch. These other types of connections can include a quick connection and a binding post connection. In the past, quick connect terminals have been provided by replacing the collar terminal with a terminal fabricated from sheet material having a number of male connectors projecting from edges of one face, and a common tang projecting from an edge of the opposite face and braised or welded to the power conductor of the switch. Female clips on wires then slide onto the male connectors to provide multiple quick connections. The binding post connection can be provided by including a tapped hole in the terminal conductor of the switch and inserting a wire under the head of a binding post which is screwed down against the terminal conductor.
While these alternative connections allow a user choice in making connections to a power switch, they require the user to purchase and the manufacturer to inventory different switches with the dedicated type of connection for different applications.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,491, entitled “Quick Connect Terminal For Electric Power Switch”, discloses a quick connect terminal having a molded housing that can be removably mounted to the molded casing of the power switch at the terminal recess in the switch casing. An electrically conductive terminal member has a tang at one end which is clamped to the main conductor of the switch by a collar terminal. The terminal member is a flat strip having a tang at one end and a center section perpendicular to the tang which extends along the housing of the quick connect terminal and has a number of spade terminations extending through slots in the housing wall to an open cavity where connections can be made to female terminal members on a number of wires. While this terminal assembly provides an easy choice between a collar terminal and spade type quick connect terminations, it does not also provide an easy and quick binding post termination.